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Legal Information: Wisconsin

Restraining Orders

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Updated: 
December 14, 2023

I was not granted a domestic abuse injunction. What are my options?

If you were denied a temporary or final domestic abuse injunction, you may file a motion requesting a new (“de novo”) hearing within 30 days. The hearing will then be held within 30 days unless there is a good reason for delaying it further. If the judge issued any temporary order in your case, that order will remain in effect until your motion for a new hearing is resolved.1

If you believe the judge made an error of law by denying you the order, you can talk to a lawyer about the possibility of an appeal. Generally, appeals are complicated and you will most likely need the help of a lawyer. You may find a lawyer on our WI Finding a Lawyer page, and you can read about appeals on our File an Appeal page.

If you are not granted a domestic abuse injunction, there are still some things you can do to stay safe. It might be a good idea to contact one of the domestic violence resource centers in your area to get help, support, and advice on how to stay safe. They can help you develop a safety plan and help connect you with the resources you need. For safety planning help, ideas, and information, go to our Safety Planning page. You will find a list of Wisconsin resources under our WI Places that Help page.

If you were not granted a domestic abuse injunction because your relationship with the abuser or the type of abuse you experienced does not qualify under the law, you may be able to seek protection through one of these orders:

You can combine multiple domestic abuse, child abuse, and harassment petitions into one case if the abuser is the same in all of them.2 You may also be able to reapply for a domestic abuse restraining order if there has been a new incident of domestic abuse after you are denied the restraining order.

1 Wis. Stat. § 813.126(1)
2 Wis. Stat. § 813.127